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Carp seizing opportunity to impress Mariners

Carp seizing opportunity to impress Mariners

081211 Mike Carp

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SEATTLE -- This season has become largely about opportunities for young players to show the Mariners what they can do, and one who is taking full advantage is Mike Carp.

The 25-year-old outfielder/first baseman has hit .371 in 22 games since being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on July 19 with four home runs, 23 RBIs and a sterling 1.000 OPS going into Sunday's game with the Red Sox.

He hit a two-run single in the Mariners' five-run first inning on Saturday to run his hitting streak to 13 games, the longest by an American League rookie this season.

Carp is still technically a rookie, though he spent small parts of the past two seasons in Seattle. He also had an early-season callup to the Mariners when he didn't hit well in minimal at-bats, so he's enjoying this first extensive look he's received from the franchise that obtained him from the Mets in the J.J. Putz trade in 2009.

"It feels good, it feels comfortable," Carp said of his recent run. "Just getting a chance, getting an opportunity. I don't know if I'll be in there tomorrow or sent down tomorrow, so I'm going to play it like that every day and take advantage of every opportunity I get."

With the release of veterans Milton Bradley and Jack Cust and the recent injuries to Justin Smoak, manager Eric Wedge has leaned on Carp lately to fill the No. 4 spot in the batting order, and he's responded well.

"I take pride when there are runners on base," Carp said. "That's what I was doing the last couple years in Tacoma. I was a 3-4-5 hitter. To get the opportunity up here to hit cleanup, I'm just going to run with it."

Carp's 14 RBIs in August, going into Sunday, were the second most of any Major League player this month.